Matchbox or the like



March 17, 1942. H. F. SWAIN MATCH BOX OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 50, 1941 Inventor flerer/ T Jana/ 7 Aiiorney Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE MATCHBOX OR THE LIKE Herbert F. Swain, Tal ban, N. Y. Application January 30, 1941, Serial No. 376,696

4 Claims.

. My invention relates to improvements in match boxes or the like, embodying and enclosing paper matches or other finger like elements, and the primary object of my invention is to provide an arrangement wherein the heads of the matches or the like are positively protected at all times, even while the cover or front fiap of the box is open.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a general perspective view of the embodiment partly broken away at the lower portion.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the lines 2-2.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the box isfolded and assembled.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of Figure l and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through adjacent matches.

Referring in detail to the drawing wherein a match box is used for illustration, the numeral 5 generally designates the present match box which is made up of a back wall 6, a narrow bottom 7, a similarly narrow top 8, the apron 9 depending from the top 8 at the opposite edge from the back wall 6, the said apron having an L-shaped dual flap ID at each end, the portion l l of the fiap ll! being secured by adhesive or other suitable means to the front face of the back wall 6 to form a hood for the positive protection of the matches within the box.

Rising from the front edge of the bottom I is a flap l2 which is of substantially the same width as the back wall 6 but is shorter to be inserted under the portion 9 of the hood as indicated in Figure 2.

The book I 3 of paper matches or the like is formed of two solid Webs, strips, or pieces of material, with the stems of the notches cut out therefrom and formed with a deflected edge portion illustrated in Figure 5. The deflection extends about half the Width of the stem, providing means afiording easy grasp by the fingers of individual matches to be removed. In addition the stems are perforated where the stems join the bases l5 and I6, to facilitate removal of the matches. The bases are stapled through or otherwise suitably secured as indicated at ll so as to secure them together and to the back wall 6 of the cover. A match scratching or igniting surface I8 is provided on the exposed face of the base l6.

It will be observed that the heads 19 of the matches are always fully enclosed and protected by the hood or apron arrangement, as indicated in Figure 2 except when one or more of the matches is individually withdrawn from this position for removal from the box for use.

It will also be observed that when the flap or cover I2 is in closed position, the cover and the hood act to protect and close and surround the matches at all sides except at the lateral edges of the outer matches.

The match box is made from the blank shown in Figure 3 involving a single sheet of suitable material such as stiff paper or the like comprising a main body portion 20 of elongated rectangular form provided at one end with similar lateral dual flaps In which are adapted to be folded along the lines 2| to provide the portions II which are secured to the back wall and the portions 12 which enclose the heads of the matches, the flaps being bent along lines indicated by the numerals 22 which are aligned with the side edges of the main body portion. Another fold line 23 aligned with the edges of the flaps I0 is provided in the main body portion and parallel to this is another fold line 24 on which the blank is bent to provide the bottom I. At a suitable intermediate location on the main body portion are parallel lines 25 and 26 on which the blank is adapted to be folded or bent to provide the bottom I and the closure flap or cover 12 whose upper edge is indicated by the numeral 21.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, except as defined by the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what claimed is:

1. A device comprising a back Wall, a narrow bottom wall projecting laterally from the lower end of said back wall, a front cover fiap projecting upwardly from the front edge of said bottom, a packet of paper fingers fixed to said back wall, said paper fingers being partly severed at their connected ends and said fingers having one longitudinal edge at their sides adjacent the severed portion deflected forwardly to provide means affording easy gripping of the individual fingers for removal thereof and a hood on the upper part of said back wall receiving and enclosing the heads of the paper fingers with the upper end of said front cover flap inserted between the paper fingers and the front wall of said hood.

2. A device comprising a back wall, a narrow bottom wall projecting laterally from the lower end of said back wall, a front cover flap projecting upwardly from the front edge of said bottom, a packet of paper fingers fixed to said back wall, said paper fingers being partly severed at their connected ends and said fingers having one longitudinal edge at their sides adjacent the severed portion deflected forwardly to provide means affording easy gripping of the individual fingers for removal thereof and a hood on the upper part of said back wall receiving and enclosing the heads of the fingers with the upper end of said front cover flap inserted between the fingers and the front wall of said hood, said hood comprising anarrow top projecting forwardly from the upper part of said back wall, a flange depending from the front edge of said top in front of the fingers,rand end walls projecting from the end edges of said flange, said end walls being secured to said back wall.

3. A match book comprising a container, a pad of matches including a base secured within the container, match stems integrally formed with the base and extending from the base in parallelism with each other, said stems being partly severed from the base at their inner ends, one longitudinal edge of the stems at their sides adjacent their severed portions projecting forwardly of the plane of the front surface of the base to facilitate gripping by the fingers of a person to sever the stems from the base, and a. hood enclosing the outer ends of the stems.

4. A pad of matches for a match package, said pad comprising a base portion adapted for securing in the package, and match stems integrally formedwith the base and extending from the base in parallelism with each other, said stems being-partly severed from the base at their inner ends; one longitudinal edge of the stems at their sides adjacent their severed portions projecting forwardly of the plane of the front surface of the base to facilitate gripping by the fingers of a person to sever the stem from the base;

HERBERT F. SWAIN. 

